Edward Majerczyk, 28, of Chicago plead guilty to hacking and illegally gaining access to over a hundred people’s private emails and iCloud accounts. Reports say that over 30 celebrities were hacked as well.
Majerczyk’s official charge was computer fraud, and was issued in an Illinois Federal Court. Between November 2013 and August 2014, Majerczyk operated a phishing scheme by sending fraud emails that appeared to be from the victims’ Internet Service Providers. By doing so, he obtained over 300 username and password combinations for Gmail and Apple iCloud accounts. Over 30 of those accounts were reportedly private celebrity accounts. Personal data along with photos and videos were all stolen from the accounts.
Majercyk’s sentencing has been scheduled for January 10, 2017. He faces up to five years behind bars. Court documents suggest he will likely serve under the maximum time.
A Spokeswoman for the FBI commented:
“The defendant’s acceptance of responsibility for his role in the intrusion of his victims’ accounts and their personal lives is a welcome development in this continuing investigation. All of us who use personal phones or devices must protect our data with strong passwords and two-factor authentication, as well as to be cautious of solicitations that can compromise our private information.
